[Footnote: A Galliasse was a 3 masted galley; Pallandres were manned by 20
men and Fustes by 12 to 15.] When the prisoner that the sayd de Merall did
send into Turkie had done his commission, hee returned into Rhodes, whereof
euery man had maruell. And many folkes deemed euil of his comming againe,
as of a thing vnaccustomed, but none durst say any thing, seeing the sayd
de Merall of so great authoritie and dignitie, and he cherished the sayd
prisoner, more than he was woont to doe. Therefore belike hee had well done
his message, and had brought good tidings to the damnable and shamefull
mind of the sayd traitor de Merall.


How the great Turke caused the passages to be kept, that none should beare
tidings of his hoste to Rhodes.

The great Turke intending with great diligence to make readie his hoste
both by sea and by land, the better to come to his purpose, and to take the
towne vnwarily as hee was aduertised, thought to keepe his doings as secret
as hee might, and commaunded that none of his subiects should goe to Rhodes
for any maner of thing. And likewise he tooke all the barkes and
brigantines out of the hauens and portes in those coastes, because they
should giue no knowledge of his armie. And also hee made the passages by
land to bee kept, that none should passe. Howbeit, so great apparell of an
armie could not bee long kept close: for the spies which the lord great
master had sent into Turkie, brought tidings to the castle of saint Peter,
and to Rhodes, of all that was said and done in Turkie. Neuerthelesse, the
sayd lord gaue no great credence to all that was brought and told, because
that many yeeres before, the predecessours of the great Turke had made
great armies: and alway it was sayd that they went to Rhodes, the which
came to none effect. And it was holden for a mocke and a by-word in many
places, that the Turke would goe to besiege Rhodes. And for this reason